Most People Diagnosed With Celiac Disease Show No Symptoms
Celiac.com 02/18/2008 - A greater awareness of celiac disease, coupled with better and more accurate tests for celiac disease have helped to bring about a situation where most people currently diagnosed with celiac disease show no symptoms at the time of their diagnosis.
Currently, most people diagnosed with celiac disease do not show symptoms, but are diagnosed on the basis of referral for elevated risk factors. This finding has caused doctors to call for an adjustment to screening procedures for high-risk populations.
A team of researchers led by Dr. Grzegorz Telega recently surveyed medical records of people diagnosed with celiac disease at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin from 1986 to 2003. The statistics showed that the number of celiac disease diagnosis rose from a single case in 1986 to 93 cases in 2003. The total number of cases during that period was 143.Before the mid-1990’s, more than 85% of children diagnosed with celiac disease were under 10 years old, with the average age being just over 5 years old. After 1995, less than 50% of children diagnosed with celiac disease were under 10 years old, and the average age at diagnosis had risen to about 8.5 years of age. Children diagnosed before the age of 3 years old usually complained of classic celiac-associated gastrointestinal symptoms, such as malnutrition, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating, while children diagnosed at older ages had less pronounced symptoms.
One of the important conclusions made by the research group is that the possibility of celiac disease should be strongly considered in people with other autoimmune disorders, even if those people do not show gastrointestinal symptoms traditionally associated with celiac disease.
The research team called upon primary care doctors to adopt a practice of celiac screening for all people with elevated risk factors, including people with a family history of celiac disease, people with Addison’s disease Down Syndrome type 1 diabetes, thyroiditis, Turner syndrome, and type 1 diabetes. The team also called for screening of patients with short stature, iron deficiency anemia, and high transaminase levels
.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008;162:164- 168.
Showing posts with label Celiac/Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celiac/Health. Show all posts
Monday, March 03, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Get tested for Celiac for Valentine's day
Top Three Reasons to get your loved ones tested for Valentine's Day:
1)Nothing Says "I LOVE YOU" like not hogging the bathroom 10 times a day
2)Most Chocolate is Gluten Free
3)It's easier to cuddle when you don't have gas
http://www.celiacce ntral.org/ Newsletter/ February_ 2008/486/ #s9
1)Nothing Says "I LOVE YOU" like not hogging the bathroom 10 times a day
2)Most Chocolate is Gluten Free
3)It's easier to cuddle when you don't have gas
http://www.celiacce ntral.org/ Newsletter/ February_ 2008/486/ #s9
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
What I got out of meditation and Yoga
Green has a post about Yoga which got me thinking about what I have gotten out of yoga and meditation.
Meditation came first, and eventually led to my being almost comfortable taking a VERY beginning yoga class.
In a word, meditation gave me Perspective.
As a journeyman perfectionist of long standing, I was, after much trying and reading, able to let go of the notion of "doing it right". I help this acceptance by thinking of it as "Practicing Meditation" rather than DOING it. It takes the pressure off, and reduces the negative self talk when I catch my mind wandering. I just begin again. It was by watching my thoughts intrude, welling up out of nowhere, and feeling my reactions to the thoughts that I realized that thoughts are only in my mind and are not REAL things. They come and go, and I can watch them or not. When emotions attach to the thoughts, I can chose to fully feel them, or let them pass by going back to concentrating on awareness of my breathing.
So rather than BEING an emotion now, I try to just FEEL the emotion. I am not perfect or consistent in my practice, and actually, I don't formally meditate much anymore unless I'm feeling stressed.
As for Yoga, I take a very beginning yoga class. I have learned to not overdo the poses most of the time. I have learned to let go of those poses that are impossible for me. I try to laugh inside thinking "yah right, what should I do while you're doing that?" I have learned to quiet my inner perfectionist most of the time. You're not supposed to compare yourself to others, but I usually look to see if anyone else's knees are next to their ears when sitting cross legged. I take a perverse pride in being the "worst" student. I figure that anyone else who's comparing can say "Well, I'm better than HIM."
I'm usually the only guy, and oldest person there. But I'm there.
I'm pushing for a "Geezer yoga" class.
The Guided meditation at the end of yoga is different than individual meditation where one can just concentrate on the breath.
To borrow from 12 step programs, "Take what you can use, and leave the rest"
Meditation came first, and eventually led to my being almost comfortable taking a VERY beginning yoga class.
In a word, meditation gave me Perspective.
As a journeyman perfectionist of long standing, I was, after much trying and reading, able to let go of the notion of "doing it right". I help this acceptance by thinking of it as "Practicing Meditation" rather than DOING it. It takes the pressure off, and reduces the negative self talk when I catch my mind wandering. I just begin again. It was by watching my thoughts intrude, welling up out of nowhere, and feeling my reactions to the thoughts that I realized that thoughts are only in my mind and are not REAL things. They come and go, and I can watch them or not. When emotions attach to the thoughts, I can chose to fully feel them, or let them pass by going back to concentrating on awareness of my breathing.
So rather than BEING an emotion now, I try to just FEEL the emotion. I am not perfect or consistent in my practice, and actually, I don't formally meditate much anymore unless I'm feeling stressed.
As for Yoga, I take a very beginning yoga class. I have learned to not overdo the poses most of the time. I have learned to let go of those poses that are impossible for me. I try to laugh inside thinking "yah right, what should I do while you're doing that?" I have learned to quiet my inner perfectionist most of the time. You're not supposed to compare yourself to others, but I usually look to see if anyone else's knees are next to their ears when sitting cross legged. I take a perverse pride in being the "worst" student. I figure that anyone else who's comparing can say "Well, I'm better than HIM."
I'm usually the only guy, and oldest person there. But I'm there.
I'm pushing for a "Geezer yoga" class.
The Guided meditation at the end of yoga is different than individual meditation where one can just concentrate on the breath.
To borrow from 12 step programs, "Take what you can use, and leave the rest"
Monday, March 19, 2007
The all new Amazing Quest!
Last night, watching "Amazing Race", it occurred to me that there is a remarkable similarity to trying to obtain a building permit.
1. Drive 25 miles to the county seat to obtain a building permit.
2. On arrival, and after waiting 3o minutes and being directed to the wrong desk, find out there is a Detour!
3. Return home, get special form filled out by architect.
4. Week later drive back to county seat, wait 30 minutes, clear first station "Zoning" sent to 2nd station "Wells & Septic", Pay, non refundable permit fee of $630, Detour!
5. Because the county has no record of a septic system on your lot, you must have a verification inspection and have system pumped. This may include locating unknown leach field. 2 copies of site plan and floor plan required.
6. Drive 25 miles to county seat, obtain permit, Pay permit fee $409. Call Environmental Specialist to schedule appt for tank verification.
7. Roadblock! The name and phone number you were given is incorrect, obtain correct name and phone number, schedule appt.
8. Contact septic tank pumping contractor, make appt slightly earlier than Inspector so that tank is empty on arrival.
Come Thurs pm we'll see what new twists and turns await us! Remember! Our shit is THEIR bread and butter!
1. Drive 25 miles to the county seat to obtain a building permit.
2. On arrival, and after waiting 3o minutes and being directed to the wrong desk, find out there is a Detour!
3. Return home, get special form filled out by architect.
4. Week later drive back to county seat, wait 30 minutes, clear first station "Zoning" sent to 2nd station "Wells & Septic", Pay, non refundable permit fee of $630, Detour!
5. Because the county has no record of a septic system on your lot, you must have a verification inspection and have system pumped. This may include locating unknown leach field. 2 copies of site plan and floor plan required.
6. Drive 25 miles to county seat, obtain permit, Pay permit fee $409. Call Environmental Specialist to schedule appt for tank verification.
7. Roadblock! The name and phone number you were given is incorrect, obtain correct name and phone number, schedule appt.
8. Contact septic tank pumping contractor, make appt slightly earlier than Inspector so that tank is empty on arrival.
Come Thurs pm we'll see what new twists and turns await us! Remember! Our shit is THEIR bread and butter!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
What if I didn't say something?
It's getting so I'm feeling like an old know it all, giving advice where none was sought. (Refering to comments in other's blogs) I'm afraid I haven't found the "OFF" button in my brain after 30 years of analyzing the possibilities and probabilities for given input. But I'm haunted by the possibility of something really bad happening if I stay silent. Every year around this time it seems like there is a family wiped out by Carbon Monoxide poisoning. "If only" are words that haunt emergency responders. I guess it'll take awhile longer to get those old responses out of my system. Maybe I should get a part time job.
Monday, December 04, 2006
My Gluten Intolerance story, or a cure for insomnia
To start with, Gluten Intolerance is not an aversion to large butts.
Gluten Intolerance, or Celiac disease, can have many different manifestations and may show up at birth or anytime during one's life. It is thought that some people are genetically predisposed to having this. It is NOT an allergy, rather it is an auto immune response to a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and millet. They guesstimate that the incidence is about 1 in 133 people, although many people may not be symptomatic.
My particular "brand" is called Dermatitus Herpetiformis. My onset was about 8 years ago. I have read some papers that theorize that some onsets may be caused by stress and/or infections kicking the immune response into hyperdrive. I was both highly stressed and coming off an infection. The symptoms were very itchy, watery pustules on my knees, elbows, scalp and rear end. The literature describes the itchiness as "unbearable", but I found it to be only very uncomfortable.
After a LOT of testing, I was diagnosed. My initial reaction was that I could not give up pizza, sourdough bread and chocolate chip cookies. I was given a prescription for a drug called Dapsone which is also used to treat Leprosy. (That made me feel good!) The dosage was increased over time while my blood count and liver function were being monitored weekly. The side effect of Dapsone is that it "ages" your red cells prematurely. The goal was to give the highest dose possible without putting me into anemia. I have to say that the lab's blood count level for anemia and mine seemed to be different, and I felt very weak and tired even though I was above the threshold.
Another effect I felt was diminished mental function. I'm usually pretty good with logical thinking and retaining trivial facts. I felt like I was developing Alzheimer's, and I did not know that this was a side effect of the gluten intolerance.
I discontinued the Dapsone when I could no longer stand the anemia. I tried to become gluten free. The deal maker was reading that not being gluten free increased my chances for colon cancer by a significant amount. Going gluten free was harder in the days before labeling laws were strengthened. I was helped greatly by online lists of forbidden versus acceptable items.
For instance, who would immediately realize that licking of stamps and envelopes would now be verboten? Or the use of some kinds of medical tape? I never knew that Soy Sauce was made by fermenting in wheat. (There is one made with oats available in health food stores) Imitation crab meat-no go. Many ice creams (mono & Di glycerides- may be a wheat product) Label reading has become my life.
It's been a learning experience. Eating out is a challenge. I still have a better situation than many. On a scale of 1 to 10 for severity, I would say I'm about a 3. Some people are SO sensitive that eating a burger cooked on a grill where a bun has been warmed will give them severe reactions. I have accidentally eaten a bite of flour tortilla and all I got was an itchy rash on my stomach for 2 weeks.
Tests for gluten intolerance have gotten better and cheaper. I had to have 2 different pencil eraser sized hunks of meat taken out of my knee to be sent to UCSF for testing. I don't think they do that anymore. They used to do intestinal biopsies for other kinds of celiac testing, and I don't think that is necessary now.
I have read papers that theorize all kinds of things being tied to gluten intolerance, Crohn's disease, schizophrenia, arthritis, learning disabilities, autism and more. If you or a loved one has a problem that you can't get a finger on, or just want to try another way, I recommend a gluten free diet for a couple of months and see if there is a difference. What could it hurt?
Click on any of the Celiac sites on my sidebar to learn more.
Gluten Intolerance, or Celiac disease, can have many different manifestations and may show up at birth or anytime during one's life. It is thought that some people are genetically predisposed to having this. It is NOT an allergy, rather it is an auto immune response to a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and millet. They guesstimate that the incidence is about 1 in 133 people, although many people may not be symptomatic.
My particular "brand" is called Dermatitus Herpetiformis. My onset was about 8 years ago. I have read some papers that theorize that some onsets may be caused by stress and/or infections kicking the immune response into hyperdrive. I was both highly stressed and coming off an infection. The symptoms were very itchy, watery pustules on my knees, elbows, scalp and rear end. The literature describes the itchiness as "unbearable", but I found it to be only very uncomfortable.
After a LOT of testing, I was diagnosed. My initial reaction was that I could not give up pizza, sourdough bread and chocolate chip cookies. I was given a prescription for a drug called Dapsone which is also used to treat Leprosy. (That made me feel good!) The dosage was increased over time while my blood count and liver function were being monitored weekly. The side effect of Dapsone is that it "ages" your red cells prematurely. The goal was to give the highest dose possible without putting me into anemia. I have to say that the lab's blood count level for anemia and mine seemed to be different, and I felt very weak and tired even though I was above the threshold.
Another effect I felt was diminished mental function. I'm usually pretty good with logical thinking and retaining trivial facts. I felt like I was developing Alzheimer's, and I did not know that this was a side effect of the gluten intolerance.
I discontinued the Dapsone when I could no longer stand the anemia. I tried to become gluten free. The deal maker was reading that not being gluten free increased my chances for colon cancer by a significant amount. Going gluten free was harder in the days before labeling laws were strengthened. I was helped greatly by online lists of forbidden versus acceptable items.
For instance, who would immediately realize that licking of stamps and envelopes would now be verboten? Or the use of some kinds of medical tape? I never knew that Soy Sauce was made by fermenting in wheat. (There is one made with oats available in health food stores) Imitation crab meat-no go. Many ice creams (mono & Di glycerides- may be a wheat product) Label reading has become my life.
It's been a learning experience. Eating out is a challenge. I still have a better situation than many. On a scale of 1 to 10 for severity, I would say I'm about a 3. Some people are SO sensitive that eating a burger cooked on a grill where a bun has been warmed will give them severe reactions. I have accidentally eaten a bite of flour tortilla and all I got was an itchy rash on my stomach for 2 weeks.
Tests for gluten intolerance have gotten better and cheaper. I had to have 2 different pencil eraser sized hunks of meat taken out of my knee to be sent to UCSF for testing. I don't think they do that anymore. They used to do intestinal biopsies for other kinds of celiac testing, and I don't think that is necessary now.
I have read papers that theorize all kinds of things being tied to gluten intolerance, Crohn's disease, schizophrenia, arthritis, learning disabilities, autism and more. If you or a loved one has a problem that you can't get a finger on, or just want to try another way, I recommend a gluten free diet for a couple of months and see if there is a difference. What could it hurt?
Click on any of the Celiac sites on my sidebar to learn more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
